Southern California -- this just in

Death of pilot found by 5 Freeway ruled as 'not suspicious'

October 4, 2012 | 2:45
pm

The death of an airline pilot whose body was found earlier this week along a 5 Freeway offramp has been ruled as "not considered a suspicious death" after coroner's investigators conducted an initial autopsy, Burbank police said Thursday.

The body of Lee Clifford Morris, a 55-year-old from Richland, Wash., was found by a passer-by along a fence at the Scott Road offramp at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Paramedics arrived and pronounced the Morris dead.

Final results are pending further medical examinations, according to a statement from the Burbank Police Department.

Burbank police said earlier that he showed no obvious signs of injury, such as gunshot or stab wounds, and there was no evidence he was struck by a car.

Morris -- a pilot for Horizon and Alaska Airlines for 26 years -- was scheduled to fly back to his home base of Seattle that morning. He flew from Seattle to Burbank on Monday and checked into a hotel, where he was supposed to stay before his 7 a.m. flight on Tuesday. He didn't show up for the flight, authorities said, prompting Alaska Airlines to reach out to the hotel and local law enforcement.